Fastlaners

Index

Fastlaners is our employability programme for 18-25 year olds looking to build on their existing experience or qualifications to kick start their career. We’re delivering Fastlaners in Birmingham, London and Manchester.

Fastlaners is for 18-25 year olds who want to find a meaningful job to kick start their career. They generally have some sort of work or volunteering experience and a qualification or degree, but are looking to turn their skills and passions into a job they love.

The programme is designed to equip participants with the knowledge, networks, skills, and confidence to improve their job prospects and find meaningful employment. Participants meet professionals from a range of industries, building their employability skills and personal development: they receive mentoring, participate in mock interviews, network with recruitment professionals, and develop the confidence to secure fulfilling employment.

In addition to two weeks of full-time workshops and opportunities to meet employers, Fastlaners also offers participants ongoing support to find work. Our Fastlaners Programme Coordinators in each region will work on a one-to-one basis to identify well-suited vacancies, support with application and interview prep, and then be on hand with any work-based questions participants may have.

Working alongside our staff team, Fastlaners will also offer participants a near-peer mentor to keep them motivated in the search for employment. Mentors will be trained alumni from our Leadership Programme who are in the early stages of their own careers and can draw on their own experience to encourage and inspire Fastlaners.

Our track record shows:

· 100% of participants reported increased confidence.

· 75% of Fastlaners moved into employment or training within six months of the programme.

"I can now visualise myself being employed - this wasn't the case 2 weeks ago"

"The programme covered everything about enhancing employability and also provided insights about the aspects I never thought about before, such as working environment and culture, new sectors I never heard about, new career paths and more."

Some of the employers our participants are now working for include BT, the Treasury, Nexus, Citibank and Gumtree - many are also teaching or working for start-ups.

We are proud to be a recipient of a Queen’s Young Leaders grant to deliver Fastlaners to 600 young people from 2016-2019.

Meet some of our previous participants in the video below (note that the video focuses on our previous programme for graduates; our new version of Fastlaners now is open to all unemployed 18-25s)

If you’re 18-25, live in one of our Fastlaners regions and want to build on your existing skills or qualifications, submit an expression of interestin the programme. You will then be sent an electronic application form (please get in touch if you require this form in a different format or need assistance to complete your application).